Machine for making tubes from hollow ingots



(No Model.) l 2 ShetsSheet 1.

s. P. M. TASKER. I

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES FROM HOLLOW'lNGrOTS. No. 331,572. Patented Dec. 1,1885.

INYENTOR WITNESSES: 1) 'Qdni/T p I I I r be N. PETERs, Pholo-Limn m her, Washin ton. D. C.

(No Model) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

s. RM. TASKER.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUBES FROM HOLLOW INGOTSJ 7 No. 331,572. Patented Dec. 1, 1885.

E nnnnnn m- UNITED-STA S STEPHEN P. in'rnsxnn, OFIPHIZLAYDELIPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.-

lVlAC Hl NE Foe MAKING TUBES'FROM HOLLOW moors.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent no. 331.572. dated December 1,

Application filed July 20, isssl To aZZ whom it may concern.-

wHollow Metal Ingots, of which the following is .a specification.

The object of my invention is the manu- '-"*;"mture of a tube from a hollow cylindriform metal ingot by rolling, either hot or cold, by .I-me'ans of the machine-hergnafter described,

1 the said ingot down and out upon a mandrel at least of the required length of the tube to bgformed, thereby compacting and-consolidotting the substance of the metal of the ingot, thinning or reducing the latter in thickness '11 elongating it until the required propor {its are attained. The ingots which I employ are tubular or of a-hollow cylindriform structure,o f any metal,and either open at both ends, 'eiosed at one end, or closed at one end and provided through such closed end with an aperture forthe traction-rod of a mandrel.

Asmy machine is of especial applicability States Patent Ofifice upon the 14th day of May,

1885, and respectively numbered 165,695 and 165,696;

such manner that vertical planes, respectively Serial No 172,045, (No model.)

pair. In such a machine all of the rolls'upon a given side of the line of feed of the rod have,

moreover, been arranged in a common frame with their axes parallel, and all of the rolls upon the other side of said line of feed have likewise been arranged in another commonframe wit-h their axes parallel, but angu 'larly disposed with-respect to or crossing,

passes of all the sets having been of the same diameter, and a common simultaneous adj ustinent of all of the passes having been the only adj ustment thereof possible. Hereto tore, also, in the art of metal-rolling, two or three equalsized rolls having concave working-faces have been arranged in a suitable housing obliquely side by side,or one over the other,or spirally, as it were, around a common central imaginary longitudinal axis of the set, so that the axes of the respective rolls forming such set have been inclined to each other in different planes, and each and all at an angle to the said common longitudinal axis, which is that of the article to be rolled, the said article having been introduced through a pass extending longitudinally between or through, so to speak, the rolls, (which pass, as is well known, is an extended straight bearing obtained between the roll-faces in a line bisecting the angle of inclination of the rolls,)'and the said machines, as such, having been employed for rolling,

- finishing, reducing, straightening,and smooth- I am not aware that sets of rolls arranged so to speak, the axes of the other series, the

'Heretoforeinthe art of metal-rolling,two or ing rods, tubes, shafting, and other cylindril more pairs or sets of equal-sized concavecal or tubular articles, which receive a spiral 5 faced rolls, the two rolls constituting'the reor combined rotary and progressive movesp'ective sets or pairs of which, being placed ment from the rolls, which not only form the l the one over the other, have crossed each article to a true cylindrical shape, but at the 'otherthat is to say, have been adjusted in same time feed it forward. 0

4o projected from their respective longitudinal axes have intersected each'other at other than a right angle have been, in successive dis-' position in the same machine, employed'for rounding, straightening, and sizing tubes and 5 rods, thesaid tubes or rods having been in the foregoing manner have been arranged in series. 1

Assuming a set of rolls of the characterlast above described as a given type, I may assume a set of rolls of the character first above described as another given type, and may define passed through the passes of the successive sets in a direction which may, for the purposes of explanation, be described as right angular to a commoni-maginary longitudinal axis of each pair of-rolls, or in adirection much'more marly rightangu-lar to than parallel with the l ngitudinal axis of each individual roll of each the distinguishing characteristic of the two types to be the direction in which the article to be rolled is passedthrough the set of rollsthat is to say, whether it be passed through them in a direction right angular to what we may term their common axis, as in the case;

of the rollsfirst described, or parallel 'or coincident with said common axis, as in the case of the rolls lastabove described.

. of the metal of..the. ingot is by therolls-com the ingot itself I have discovered that a superior merchantable tube of.meta1, but especially that a steel tube, can be economically and successfully manufactured either from a tubular metal ingot, or especially from ahollow steelcast ingot," by employing in conjunction with a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, the rolls of each of which sets'crosseach other, and the reducing got upon it, andat least of the required length of the tube to be formed from said ingot,-

which mandrelis passed through the passes of the sets in a direction rightangulargto their;

common axes, and upon which thesubstance pact-ed and consolidated, and thinned or reduced in thickness and elongated until therequired proportions are. attained Apparatus embodying a .goodformQofrhy; invention is represented in,the accompanying; drawings and.. des cribed-in this specification,- the particular;subject-matter claimed asnovel being-hereinafter defiuitelyspeeified.

In theaccompanying drawings, EFigure l is a top, plan view of, an; apparatus conveniently embodying a good, form otmy improvements andcontaining. a series of two sets-of rolls, an

in position. upon the mandrel and undergoing reductionin its passage through-the rolls in, Fig. 2 is the direction of the arrow upon it. a'central verticallongitudinal sectional elevation of. theapparatus, represented .in, Fig.1, section being supposed .inthe .plane of the dotted line arm of Fig. 1, andsight being takenin the=direction of the arrows upon said line, the reduction of theingot .being alsoillusand providedathrough its closed end with an mandrel is, if it be desired to apply power to it, forced from behind through therolls. In Fig. 2 it is to be assumed that the mandrel is, if desired, being both forced and drawn, or drawn only. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of theapparatus of Fig. 1, sight being taken from the left-hand end a mandrel and ingot as are represented inv Fig. 2 being shown in the pass. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational' detail of one of the cylindriform segments, 0, of the housing 0,, it being that segment to which the arrow a on said Fig. 1 points. Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the rolls and of one of the adjustable boxings .in which one of itsaxles is journaled, the said boxing and the radial adj ustingarm' thereon and a portion of one of the cylindriformsegments of a housing and of. the projeeting flange thereofv being. represented in a sectional View projected on a plane. which asses through both the axis of the roll and that of the radialadjusting-arm. The view is itis in bite with the rolls.

of said Fig. 1, but such;

in the nature of an explanatory diagram, and" is neither drawn to scale nor isometrically correct. Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating how the mandrel may be swiveled to a mandrelhead or cross-bar, S, of a mandrel frame or carriage.

be rotated upon its longitudinal axis by any convenient meansas, for instance, by swivelingits rear extremity in the mandrel frame or carriage.

*Inthe. drawings no representation other than that of a mandrel-frame head in section is-made of any means for occasi'oning'the ad- .Vance or retraction of the mandrel through the passes of the rolls, for the reason thatI assumesuch representation to be unnecessary,

well known to iron-masters, and for the furwithmeans for driving them, and consequently ingot havlnga closed advance end being shown Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. 7 In-the drawings, A representsany suitable because the various applianeesin common use for.actuating the mandrels of rolling-mills are for operating the mandrel when the ingot upon 4 Iassume it, however, to be -understood that a suitable mechanism, which may be of any preferred charactor, is, when-it is desired so to do, to be applied-to the mandrel to co-operate with the means for driving the rolls in causing the ad Vance or retractionof the mandrel and ingot at any predetermined speedthrough the passes of the rolls. trated,. and the latter being. closed-at oneend- B isan ingot upon the mandrel.

0 O aretwo longitudinally-extending par allel housings vertically erected from the bed or foundation, andeither cast solid therewith or bolted or otherwise secured thereto. The housings in the form of apparatus shown in the drawings-and it is to be borne in mind that the series may contain a greater number ofsetsof rolls than twosupport two successively-placed sets of rolls, the rolls of the firstset of which are marked D, while the rolls of the second set are marked E. rolls of each set may be relatively of the same size; but the concave working-surfaces of the two rolls of the second set are to be more filled.

in, so to speak, than the working-surfaces of thea'olls of the first setthat is to say, the diameter of the central portions of the rolls of the second set is to be greater than that of the The two rolls of the first set-so that the normal pass of the second set may be diametrically smaller than. the normal pass ofthe first set, and this normalv relation of successivelydiminishing passes is to be preserved, what-ever number of ,sets ofrolls happen to be employed. ,The two rolls of each set are respectively adjusted one above the other, and their axes, whatever F the time being be the adjustment of the rolls, must always cross at an angle other than a right angle, and which is such as to cause the concave workingsurfaces of the saidtwo rolls to always present, in any desired angular relationship not right angular, .a pass which, viewed from the-end of the machine, is, as

' shown in Fig. 3, practically circular, whatever its diameter may be, for of course the rolls separate and their pass increases diametrically as the angle of their axesincreases.

The journaling or housing of each set of the rolls and the means for adjusting the said two rolls of each set are preferably precisely similar throughout any number of sets which may be employed. I will therefore describe the same with reference tobut one set of rolls. Each housing in the region of its support of a set of rolls has preferably the form of a segment of a vertical cylinder, the said cylindrical segments being marked 0 0* in the drawings, or, at least, the said housings are Vertically cylindricallyconcaved on their adjacent faces,

the curvature being the same in each,.while the inner faces of said cylindrical segments of the housings are separated from eachother a distance equal to the diameter of a circle an arc of which corresponds with the arc of their in'nercurved?cylindrical fa'ces-that is to say, a circle whose circumference is equal to that of the base of a supposed cylinder introduced vertically, so as to fill the space between the cylindrical segments of the housing. The curved inner walls of both the segmental portions 0 and 0* therefore have a common central vertical a'xiszwhich is midway between them. The axles d of the rolls are preferably entered within adjustable'boxings or bearings F F which are respectively fitted with re spect to, as shown in Fig. 5, and adapted to have both a rotary and a longitudinal movement within reversely disposed segmental ways H, formed in opposite pairs in there spective cylindrical segments of the housings, and two of which are as to each housing pro jected in what may be termed diagonally quartered relationship upon a common radius from a common center, which is concentric with what I have characterized the common longitudinal axis of the rolls of the set under consideration, and is about midway of the vertical depth of the said cylindrical segments, as will be more clearly understood by a reference to the drawings. By virtue of these pairs of reversely-disposed segmental ways within which the axles of the rolls are, as shown, entered, the movement of the rolls of each pair for increasing or diminishing the diameter of their pass becomes both certain and easy. 1

To render easy the adjustment of the rolls, I have devised the following convenient means of adjustment: A radially-proj ecting threaded adjusting-arm, f or f*, is attached to each axle-boxing, and passes through a doublycurvedslot, i, formed in a doubly-curved flange, I, projecting from the exterior face of each cylindrical'segment, as a reference to the drawings will also make clear. j are j am-nuts applied to the radial adjusting-arms to'secure the locking of-the arm to which they are respectively applied at given positions with respect to its range of play within the slot of its flange. A suitable arrangement or dispo-. sition of the segmental ways for the axleboxings with respect to the cylindriform segments of the housing is represented in the drawings, and will be easily understood by a reference thereto. The corresponding seg mental ways in opposite cylindrical segments are of course diagonally opposite. The seg mental ways, axle-boxings adjustable therein, radial nut-provided arms connected with said boxings, and projecting slotted flanges for the maintaining of the arms when locked, and consequently of the axles and rolls in predetermined positions, together 'constitute simply a composite roll-adjusting contrivance, the office of which is to permit of and render easy the adjustment of any given pair (or of all the pairs) of rolls at different rela-- tive angles, and consequently, by reason of the play of their boxings inthe 'reversely-dis I posed segmental ways, nearer together or farthe'r apart, so as to increase or lessen the di-' ametric 1 measurement of the pass between them' and adapt them for employment with mandrels and ingots of -varying diameters. Any other adjusting device operating to a similar result may, however, besubstituted in the stead of the foregoing. It is proper also to remark that the boxings may be dispensed with and the axles otherwise housed or entered simply in the segmental ways, in which event means for fixed adjustment of the rollsis to be applied to the axles, and not to theboxings, As a gearing to occasion the positive driving in opposite directions of the two rolls of each set, I equip the said rolls with toothed" .j wheels K K the teeth of which are of such form and spaced at such dfstances-apirtthat, notwithstanding varying relative inclinations and consequent distances apart of the rolls, the said toothed wheels-are in constant engagement, so that when rotation is imparted IIO to one of them rotation in a contrary direc-" tion is also imparted to the other; and'I also provide driving spur-wheels L D" upon shafts Z P, suitably journaled, preferably beneath the foundation of the machine, the teeth of which respectively engage with the teeth of the lower toothed wheels, K and; occasion the rotation of the rolls to which they are applied in eitherdirection at will. The housings constitute a most convenient framing,- but the segmental ways may be formed independently of or supported separately from the said housings.

Having now described what I believe to be a convenient embodiment of my invention, and at the same time described the operation of the machine, it is proper for me to add that I believe myself to be the first to use a mandrelicapable of rotation about itslongitudinal ISO axis and of the length of the tube which is to be produced in conjunction with a series of sets of angularly-disposed or crossing concavefaced rolls having successively-diminishing passes, by which arrangement it is possible to reduce the external diameter of an ingot placed upon the mandrel, and, if desired, bysetting down the rolls after each pass, to efiect a continued reduction until said ingot becomes a tube of the desired thickness of substance and of no greater length than the mandrel. course obvious that while the housing .for containing and the means 'for retaining the adjusted rolls which I have represented and described are well adapted for the purpose, yet that they are not essential to my inven-: tion, the special adjusting devices described, or others operating to substantially the same result, however, permit of the adjustment of the rolls to accommodate any size of ingot within their range of separation. Whatever, moreover, may bethe diameters of the passes of the rolls, all of the upper rolls throughout the series will be parallel with each other, and all the lower rolls in like manner parallel, and this notwithstanding the fact that the pass diminishes with each succeeding set. capability of adjustment while the parallelism of the rolls-is preserved is most important, as otherwise the rolls of the several sets would not act harmoniously, but would tend to roll the metal in different directions, owing to their irregularly-divergent angular positions; and it will therefore be understood why it is preferable to have all the rolls of each set of the same size, but to have the diameters of the concave working-faces of the rolls of different sets different. It is, however, proper to state that while I have herein recited as the best construction that the concave working-surfaces of the two rolls of the second set should be more filled in than the working-surfaces of the rolls of the-first setthat is to say, should be of greater diameter at their central portions than the rolls of the first set, and so on throughout the .seriesyet that all of the rolls of all of i the sets may, if desired, be of the same diameter, and the successively-diminishing diameters of the pairs be secured simply by the adjustment of each succeeding set. This construction would of course prevent the parallelism of all the upper rolls and all the lower rolls, and would not conduce to an equally successful manufacture. It would, however, be a possible construction, and is of a character clearly within my invention and contemplated by me. While it is preferable that the passes of the succeeding sets should successively diminishthat is to say, diminish in strict consecution, set by set, and without variance, omission, or alternation yet all the results which flow from consecutive diminution may be obtained by making, for instance, two consecutive or adjoining sets of a given and the same diameter of pass by making the two im mediately-succeedmg consecutive or adjoining sets of a lesser but of the same diameter of Itisof.

This

pass, and by making the two further immediately succeeding :consecutive or adjoining sets of a still lesser but of the same diameter of pass. This arrangement, or one kindred to it, the number or series of sets of similar diameter of pass employed not being vital, is not desirable; but it is manifestly embraced within my invention, and the terms successive or gradual diminution herein employed are not to be understood as employed with literal exactness.

The: method of driving the rolls which I have represented isa good one,because it permits of their reversal for the backing out of the mandrel, and also the driving of different setsv at difierent'ratesof speed.- As already stated, the mandrel, which may be of any desired kind, may,when it is desired to apply power to it,be driven at aspeed greater or less than that of the rolls, and is, when so driven, preferably driven by a power independent of the power employed to drive-the rolls. It is of advantage to increase the speed of each subsequent set of rolls to a degree necessary to take up what would otherwisebe the undue stretchingof the material. The ingots may be rolled down either hot or cold. The spiral or revolving progressive motion to which the ingot on the mandrel, and with it the mandrel to which it for the time being adheres, is subjected prevents finning or irregularities of any kind, and therefore tends to produce a uniformly cylindric and very marketable tube. The mandrel may be extracted from the tube after rolling by stretching the tube, by loosening the mandrel, and by extracting-the'latter by any suitable means.

It is properto add that my machine without the mandrel is well adapted for reducing the diameters of tubes or rods, and, if desired, by a suitable adjustment of its several passes for rounding, straightening, and finishing such products, it being simply necessary for any such employment of said machine that the mandrel should be removed and the product to be operated upon be manipulated in its stead through the passes between the rolls.

I do not claim or seek herein to cover in connection with sets of rolls of the character herein set forth, which are provided with positive mechanism for driving them, any mechanism for positively advancing or retracting the mandrel, as, while I may see fit to employ in connection with this apparatus means for operating the mandrel at either a greater or a lesser speed than that imparted to the rolls, and although I deem such proceeding clearly within my invention, yet I have made the driving ofthe mandrel the subject of claim in anotherapplication,which I have designated Case A,No.3, and executed and filed contemporaneously with this application. I do not, moreover, claim herein the mandrel, per se, when employed with a set of concave-faced cross-rolls, nor yet the housing provided with segmental ways, nor, again,the roll adjusting devices, as these features constitute the subject-matter of another application contemporaneously executed and filed, and designated by me Case A, No. 1.

Having thus described my invention,I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists. of a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, and the passes of such sets gradually diminish in diameter, with a mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the passes formed by the rolls of the successive sets in a direction right angular to the common axis of each pair or set of rolls, and mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for making tubes from hol low metal ingots, the combination ofa series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists of apair of concave-faced rolls an ranged with their axes inclined to each other, and the passes of such sets diminish gradually in diameter, with a mandrel adapted tobe rotated about its longitudinal axis, at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the passes formed by the rolls of the successive sets in a direction right angular to the common axis of each pair or set of the rolls, and with mechanism for driving the rolls, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists of a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, and the concave working-faces of the rolls of each succeeding set of such series are more filled in and of greater diameter than the rolls of the set immediately preceding, so that the passes of the sets gradually diminish in diameter, with a mandrel at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the passes formed by the rolls of the successive sets in a direction right angular to the common axis of each pair or set of rolls, and with mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists of a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, and the concave workingfaces of the rolls of each succeeding set of such series are more filled in and of greater diameter than the rolls of the set immediately preceding, so that the passes of the sets gradually diminish in diameter, with amandrel adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis, at least as long as the tube to be formed, and which is passed through the passes formed by the rolls of the successive sets in a direct-ion right angular to the common axis of each pair or set of rolls, and with mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists of a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said sets of rolls, reversely-disposed segmental ways for the axles of each set of the rolls, the arrangement being thereby such that each set of rolls is capable of an independent adjustment, a mandrel adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis, and which is passed through the pass of each set of rolls in a direction right angular to the common axis of each set, and mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consistsof a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said sets of rolls, reverselydisposed segmental ways for the axles of each set of the rolls, means for securing the fixed adjustment of the axles of the sets of rolls with respect to their segmental ways, the arrangement being thereby such that each set of rolls is capable of an independent adjustment, a mandrel adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis, and which is passed through the pass of each set of rolls in a dire'ction right angular to the common axis of each set, and mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for making tubes from hollow metal ingots, the combination of a series of sets of concave-faced rolls, each of which sets consists of a pair of concave-faced rolls arranged with their axes inclined to each other, housings for supporting said sets of rolls, reversely-disposed segmental ways formed in'or connected with the framing, boxings or bearings for the axles of the rolls of each set adapted to said segmental ways, adj usting-arms connected with both the axles of the rolls of each set and with the framing, the arrangement being thereby such that each set of the rolls is capable of an independent adjustment, a mandrel adapted to be rotated about its longitudinal axis, and which is passed through the pass of each set of rolls in a direction right angular to the common axis of each set, and mechanism for driving the rolls, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 6th day of July, A. D. 1885.

STEPHEN P. M. TASKER.

In presence of- J. BONSALL'TAYLOR, JOHN J OLLEY, Jr.

ICC 

